Trick or Treat Letter 2023

[firebatvillain]

Dear Trick or Treat Creator,

Thanks for writing or drawing for me - I’m really excited for this exchange. This is my first year participating in it, and it's a real treat - or perhaps trick, hehe! I hope you’re excited as well! I’m FireBatVillain on Ao3 and Tumblr.

Aside from my DNWs, I hope you consider the prompts and likes in this letter as you work, and that they inspire you to make something you enjoy creating and that tickles my fancy! These prompts are meant to inspire, not restrain/restrict, so feel free to beyond these prompts.

In addition to this letter, I also maintain a longer, general letter about likes and dislikes if that's useful for you: https://firebatvillain.dreamwidth.org/3098.html

Things I like in writing:

Happy stories, bittersweet stories, and stories that end with a spark of hope even if they are angry or sad. I like good communication, wordplay, honor, pointless heroism or love even if it won’t succeed. Probably one of my favorite ideas in fiction is the idea of heroism in the face of hopelessness, and love even if things seem sad.

A little mini scene or interaction, an ending or a beginning, that could be a canon-compliant off-screen scene or interaction - sounds fun! I also like AUs and alternate imaginings.

I like explicit content and smut. I am okay with darkfic. I do not mind any of the archive warnings aside from what's listed in my DNWs.

Things I like in art:

Characters hugging, cute animal companions, manifestations of magic or the supernatural, characters looking fierce holding a weapon, item, or tool. characters floating against abstract backgrounds with aquatic or space-ey feels. I'm happy with all art media.

In terms of mood: I like moods that are cozy, happy, fierce, or exciting, but I don't like moods in art that are dismaying, horrifying, or depressing.

In terms of how to depict the characters, feel free to diverge from straightforward direct physical depiction / canonical elements if you'd like! I'm comfortable with and enjoy all levels of explicitness/maturity in fics and art.

Anyway - on to the important DNWs and prompts!

DNWs:

In fic, my DNWs are authorial monarchist apologia, vivid descriptions of needles, pregnancy, and extreme underage.

In art, my DNWs are authorial monarchist apologia, depictions of needles breaking skin, pregnancy, and extreme underage.

Regarding the monarchism thing: I’m okay with characters in a feudal or monarchist setting, and even protags who are monarchs, and even these characters triumphing as monarchs as long as the story itself isn’t apologia for monarchism. Characters who like monarchism, who think of themselves as good kings, who want to restore the throne, etc - all good by me. Rider in Fate/Zero, or Moriarty in A Study in Emerald, etc are excellent characters and enjoy works about them. I just would prefer not to read a work where the final moral of the story is that democracy is bad and we should all be ruled by a single person with absolute unchecked power, as presented by the author.

Requested Fandoms:

Request 1: すずめの戸締り | Suzume no Tojimari | Suzume's Locking Up (2022)

• Formats: Treat - Art, Treat - Fic
• Tags: Iwato Suzume, Iwato Tamaki, Serizawa Tomoya, Amabe Chika & Iwato Suzume,

I found this movie so moving and fun, both emotionally stirring and funny! I really fell in love with the characters, and we only get little glimpses of what happens to them after the events of the film. I'd love anything related to that, showing what kind of cool things they get up to, or a moment they share! I'm also interested in missing scene type fics, or what-ifs that are fun and interesting.

Art Prompts:

• Suzume pushing her hand against a mundane but decrepit door. Mood: Pensive
• Tamaki, dressed up and made up to go on a date. Mood: Optimistic
• Serizawa, looking surprised as he checks his phone. Mood: Silly
• Chika & Suzume, meeting up again and hugging. Mood: Happy

Fic Prompts:

• Suzume and Chika meet up again later, perhaps on a break from school, or perhaps later on, and talk about boys or life.
• Serizawa takes his car to get repaired.
• Tamaki has a date tonight, and thinks about what her plans are or talks to Suzume about it.

Request 2: Baldur's Gate (Video Games)

• Formats: Treat - Art, Treat - Fic, Trick - Art, Trick - Fic
• Tags: Minthara Baenre

Minthara! She's also clearly not like, a "good person" by any meaning of the word. She talks about the things she did in service of Lolth of her own free will, and how she has tortured people for information, but she also wants revenge on the Absolute, and is 100% ruthless in every decision or idea that might help make that happen. She knows they want to end the world and enslave every sapient being, and she wants to stop that at any cost, so she can keep doing Minthara things in that world. What Minthara things? Well, don't worry about it. She's torn up because of the things she did while mind controlled by the Absolute, and says that even if her connection to Lolth is damaged by that, she will stand by her oath no matter what, and get revenge on the Absolute. She's very noble in a way. By the standards of Lolth Drow culture she's probably the equivalent of an honorable, noble paladin. And she's from a powerful family, etc. What an interesting character!

Art Prompts:

• Minthara petting when of her pet spiders. Perhaps it was just fed a goblin underling? Mood: Peaceful.
• Minthara hefting Xyanyde, blood dripping from its flanges. Mood: Bloodthirsty.
• Minthara grimacing and trying to resist the tadpole as a psychic wave attacks her head. Mood: Fearful, Painful.

Fic Prompts:

• Minthara, after being freed from the tadpole's influence, contemplates her faith in Lolth and her oath.
• Minthara talks to Tav & co prior to an important fight, preparing these young people for an important battle.
• Minthara getting her revenge - on anyone! But especially Ketheric. Fuck Ketheric tbh.

Request 3: The Raven Tower - Ann Leckie

• Formats: Treat - Art, Treat - Fic, Trick - Art
• Tags: The Strength and Patience of the Hill, The Myriad, The Myriad & The Strength and Patience of the Hill

I read this novel this year and found it positively charming! I think Myriad stole the show, as did Strength and Patience! I'm so curious to know what they got up to in various parts of their long lives, and what awaits them now that Strength and Patience is free, and what Myriad was up to while he was trapped. Eolo & co are also neat but I'm here for these two!

Art Prompts:

• The Myriad on the prow of the boat, in a stonelike form with iron and peridot. Mood: Heroic.
• The Strength and Patience of the Hill, surrounded by strange mechanisms in the bowels of the tower. Mood: Gloomy.

Fic Prompts:

• The Myriad talks to Strength and Patience after the events of canon, and they have a joyful reunion
• Strength and Patience speculates about the way he was worshiped in the north, and what kind of person is well suited to be his priest.
• The Myriad goes on an adventure in the west prior to the events of the book, while Strength and Patience is trapped.

Request 4: Original Work

• Formats: Treat - Art, Treat - Fic, Trick - Art, Trick - Fic
• Tags: Ghost Outlaw Cowboy, Sheriff & Ghost Outlaw Cowboy, Sheriff & Ghost Outlaw-Turned-Sheriff, Sheriff/Ghost Outlaw Cowboy, Vampire that only drinks fish blood, Witch's Cat

A few ideas in here that could be played for laughs or for screams! Here are some prompts to go with these already prompt-ey tags, heheh.

Art Prompts:

• A ghostly outlaw with a cowboy hat, a bandana, and a revolver, smirking against a dark night. Mood: Spooky fun!
• A sheriff and a ghost outlaw cowboy squaring off over a moonlit western main street, ready to draw - or smooch??? Mood: Tense.
• A male vampire sinking his teeth into a fish, looking like he's been caught in the headlights as he's done so. Mood: Surprised.
• A black cat prowling in a spooky halloween environment, maybe with pumpkins. Mood: Cute, playful.

Fic Prompts:

• The new sheriff in town has to deal with the notorious outlaw, but finds out to his dismay he can't shoot him - he's already dead!
• The new sheriff in town has to team up with the notorious outlaw who is a ghost to bring in a killer.
• Or maybe the new sheriff in town decides he wants to do more than just team up with the notorious outlaw ghost...
• Ghost Outlaw Cowboy returns to town and wants to get a drink, but can't, because he's not substantial enough!
• Vampire who was a pescatarian in life works very hard to remain a pescatarian as a vampire. Harder than you'd think!

Thanks for reading this!

Hopefully this gives you some ideas. I am sure I will like whatever you create.

Thank you.